I'm Still Here
by ZheM
Summary: Sequel to A Moment to be Real. Sasuke finds out the truth.


Let me take a moment to say, I hate Microsoft Word 2007...

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I'm Still Here

Sequel to A Moment to be Real

For HanyouElf

ZzZ

Darkness surrounded him before had even realized that he had been trapped in a genjutsu. Sasuke knew better than to fight very hard against it. For him to be ensnared without realizing it, there was only one person who could trap him so quickly.

"Itachi," he growled seconds before slim but strong fingers wrapped around his throat.

"Ah, Sasuke, you remembered me." The older man stroked the throbbing pulse point of the other's jugular with an almost gentle smile. "I'm flattered. I would have thought that one as weak as you would be mad with grief by now."

Sharingan red eyes looked over the younger man in his arms before he continued. "Or perhaps you have more hate bottled up than I thought. Too bad for Uzumaki then."

Itachi shook his head in mock surprise and 'tsk'ed at his younger brother.

"You would have been proud of him, little brother," Itachi began, digging his painted nails into the younger Uchiha's pale throat.

"Why is that, you sick fuck," Sasuke asked, steadfastly ignoring the drop of blood that welled up under the nail of his older brother's ring finger.

"Because unlike you, Naruto-kun wasn't a screamer."

Sasuke's throat tensed under his brother's hand and his glare intensified.

"You're eyes aren't strong enough, little brother, and now, thanks to me, they never will be." The smile that split Itachi's face was definitely on par with the worst that Sasuke had ever seen on Orochimaru. Still, it was far worse coming from the brother who he knew had no qualms about killing him, unlike the former snake sannin. The younger man suppressed the shudder he knew Itachi would see anyway. Even with his Mangekyou Sharingan slowly disintegrating, his older brother was still more perceptive than most gave him credit for. Uchiha Sasuke was not most. If he was going to get out of this alive he had to keep his brother talking.

"What do you mean," he asked finally, drawing Itachi's Sharingan to his own, fighting the need to look away from the overwhelming power he saw there.

Itachi seemed quite proud of himself when he answered his little brother's question. His voice was almost…smug, Sasuke decided and after a minute he understood why. "Your closest friend, the one with whose murder you could earn this Sharingan, is dead. And I killed him."

Sasuke saw red, which confused him because he had always thought that to be a euphemism. Then as the area around him bled into better focus, he realized that it had simply been his Sharingan reacting to the sudden shift of emotion within him.

He glared harder at the red outline of his brother, silently willing the slim shape to burst into flames or at least go away. Itachi was right; his Sharingan wasn't strong enough for such things.

"Show me," he commanded suddenly, fully believing his brother incapable.

Itachi merely blinked and focused on his brother in vague fascination. "You are getting better, little brother. Though I believe you will scream in his place."

For the first time in his life, Sasuke purposefully looked directly into his brother's hypnotizing eyes. He didn't miss the evil gleam in them or the way Itachi's smirk widened.

ZzZ

He once again stood in complete darkness, the only source of light coming from a small fixture that did little against the encroaching darkness. Sasuke looked around in confusion before his eyes landed on a flash of yellow hair. He blinked, trying to decide if it was real or if the blond was merely a figment of his imagination.

The blond shifted and groaned, tugging half-heartedly at the chains suspending him from the ceiling even Sasuke's Sharingan couldn't make out. The other moved restlessly and the brunette could tell that his current position was painful for Naruto. He stepped closer, his movement echoing back to him off the dull stone, though the blond himself didn't acknowledge the noise. Naruto appeared to be deep in thought, about what Sasuke would never know, but he assumed Naruto was trying to discern what had gone wrong.

"Dobe," he muttered, not caring if the blond heard his disgust.

Suddenly Naruto looked up in horror and began pulling at his bindings. "Oh fuck no!"

"Shut up, idiot. You didn't think I'd miss your last failure, did you?"

Naruto didn't reply and Sasuke snorted, coming within touching distance of the Kyuubi container. "Serves you right, idiot." He stared at the straining genin. There was someone coming. Their footsteps echoed to him just as his own had done. "Now would be a good time to escape, dobe."

The scent of blood was already thick in the air and Sasuke peered closer, trying to gauge the other's injuries and decide if he should offer help. The door opened behind him but the brunette ignored it, choosing instead to watch Naruto's reactions.

He almost laughed out loud when the blond pretended to sleep, really Naruto had the worst acting skills Sasuke had ever seen. Of course he had witnessed the acting skills of a true master. Compared to Itachi, all others failed.

A vaguely familiar voice spoke up; though hanging in his chains Naruto continued his ruse.

"Looks like he's awake, eh, Itachi-san?"

Sasuke controlled his urge to reach for something sharp. He was here to witness. Itachi would wait to kill him until the opportune moment. Most likely after the scene in front of him had played out.

Dark eyes watched coolly as his brother stepped into his peripheral vision and moved closer to the hanging shinobi. He watched Itachi extend the pale hand that had been wrapped around Sasuke's own throat and jerked Naruto up to face him.

"I can see that you're awake," Itachi told the grimacing blond.

Naruto growled out his brother's name and Sasuke found himself strangely entranced with the movements in front of him.

Sasuke nodded slightly when Itachi promised to make the blond bleed, his body tightening in preparation for the violence that could only be eminent. But Naruto barely moved when the elder Uchiha tore out a large chunk of his blond hair and Sasuke stood transfixed as it seemed to float to the darkly stained ground below.

He jerked his attention away from the golden strands when Itachi's next words registered in his unfocused mind.

"So brave, little Konoha shinobi." Sasuke's eyes widened at the words of praise and his pale cheeks flushed red in displeasure.

"Get on with it, Itachi."

"It won't save you today." Kisame stepped up beside Sasuke, preparing Samehada for its important duty, and the brunette's stomach clenched in anxious anticipation. He wanted to see what this older man could do with his large blade.

Naruto stiffened at Itachi's side and Sasuke glared at their proximity. Why was the blond touching his brother? Why was Itachi stroking his hair like that?

"Hurry the fuck up, you ass," Sasuke growled in jealous agitation. His hands balled into fists at his side and the younger Uchiha wished for something, someone, to his.

"Stay the fuck away from me," Naruto snarled, drawing Sasuke's surprised dark eyes back to him.

Sasuke tuned their words out after that, focusing instead on the cruel hand buried in blond spikes and the pain clear on Naruto's face. Itachi backhanded the blond but Sasuke had no idea why. He was too focused on the blood Naruto spat on the ground. A strange sensation of excitement shot through his stomach. The blond coughed up a mouthful of the blood and much to Sasuke's surprised pleasure, he spit it out close to the brunette's sandaled feet.

Sasuke looked up again to see his brother reaching under his cloak for something. Metal flashed in the meager light and sudden fear filled Sasuke's senses.

A look of confused surprise crossed Naruto's face and Sasuke flung himself in front of his brother's blade. The sharp kunai passed through his pale chest and sank into the tanned body behind him.

A muffled grunt stung his ears; Sasuke turning to find that at the last minute Naruto had bit into his lip to silence any cry he might make.

Blood sprayed Sasuke's face when Itachi pulled his weapon free, leaving the blond to hang there.

He stood motionless as the two Akatsuki members pulled the blond down and began dragging him slowly through the room.

Mangekyou Sharingan spun in his eyes as Sasuke stared down at the trail of blood. They were going to extract the bijuu, he knew it, but Sasuke couldn't bring himself to care about that. He had to get the blond's body back.

ZzZ

Itachi smirked as he released his brother from the vision he had asked for. Never let it be said that he had lied to Sasuke about the blond's death. The truth was far too good.

Sasuke came out of it quickly and with clarity came the comfortable weight of a blade in his hand. He buried it deep within his brother's chest and gasped at the feeling of pleasure overtaking his body.

"Where is he?"

ZzZ

See what happens when people want to know too much?

:D

Reviews?? Feel free to tell me I suck. I can take it, for the most part.


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